THE St Teath Play Equipment Association may have only been in existence for a couple of months but it hasn’t stopped them already raising over £2,000 in their quest for new play equipment to be installed in the local park.

Consisting of three people, Sarah Hewett, Tracy Kitto and Emily Grey, the group aims to raise the £48,000 needed to make the park a place fit for everyone’s requirements.

The previous apparatus, which was recently taken away after it had become corroded, had been in place for 35 years, but with the play-area being a focal point of the community, efforts are being made to get new equipment installed as soon as possible.

Chairman, Sarah, said: “It is absolutely vital that the people of St Teath join together to make this happen. Without the play park, there really isn’t much for the older children to do. We have the local football club and pre-school next to the park and people need somewhere to keep their children occupied while also teachers from the pre-school use the facilities.

“Take the football club for example, we have two men’s teams, a ladies team and two junior teams. When matches are taking place, parents need somewhere to keep their children entertained as 90 minutes without something for them to do seems like a lifetime.

“Also the park is special to people around here. As children we spent many hours on the swings and slides which gave us memories and it’s important that our children get the chance to do this too while people use it as a way to socialise.”

In their short time fundraising, the group has crammed in an exceptional amount and also been beneficiaries of some wonderful donations.

The group’s first fundraising event, a cake sale during the local village summer fete on Sunday, July 17 raised £412.14 and since then it has raised £137.65 from a laser-tag day in the park which was kindly donated for free by Big Dunk’s Paintball, Outdoor Laser Tag and Combat Archery.

The group has also been generously donated £500 by Cornwall councillor for the St Breward and St Teath Ward, Dominic Fairman, from his community chest fund, £250 from the local drama club, £131.80 from the Queen’s Jubilee party held in the village, £600 from Persimmon Homes Cornwall and recently the group took part in bag packing at Tesco in Wadebridge which also raised £153.80.

Crowdfunder has also worked brilliantly for the group. A first crowdfunder page earned their £500 target within two days, while a second one was set-up soon after and raised £150.

The money raised so far has enabled the group to order their first piece of equipment, a four-way rocker which will arrive this week.

But that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the equipment the group wants installed.

Sarah said: “We are aiming to have two climbing frames, one for pre-school children and one for children over the age of six, a scout trail, various climbing activities of different heights, a pyramid net and a couple of swings.

“We know it’s going to cost a lot of money but we have also put in applications to SITA for £35,000, the big lotto fund and the Tesco Bags of Help fund so we’re hoping that one of those will be successful and that’d give us a massive boost.”

Those interested in helping the group, or looking to find out about upcoming fundraising events, can visit the association’s Facebook page at St Teath play equipment association or call chairman Sarah Hewett on 07702 164651.